Clarifying device



H. E. MARTEL CLARIFYING DEVICE Filed March 29, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet l 5. PWarfef ATTORA/EK July 16, 1940..

H. E. MARTEL CLARIFYING DEVICE Filed March 29, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 M VEN r05;

4 Z. 777a/z cZ H. EMARTEL 08,427

CLARIFYING DEVICE Filed March 29, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ZA/VEA/TOR A T 7 OR/VEW- H 194. H. E. MARTEL 2,208,421

CLARIFYING DEVICE Filed March 29. 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 his Patented July 16, 1940 Hector Elizondo Martel,

Cub

Application March 29,

Gomez Mena Sugar Mill,

1939, Serial No. 264,868

In Cuba April 29, 1938 3 Claims.

This invention refers to clarifying devices and has for its principal objectto provide an apparatus serving to clarify the juices extracted from sugar cane, or any other juice or liquid containing coagulated or suspended bodies, heavier than the liquid, clarification being effected by that may interrupt the precipitation or normal descent of the precipitable bodies, all of its'plates being conveniently inclined and vertical, whereby no bodies being delayed or retained in any of its inclined and/or vertical plates, it requires no mechanically actuated device for the removal of such bodies.

bodies is effected in an uninterrupted manner,

opposed by no obstacle in their descent toward the bottom. In this way a high efficiency is obtained in the production of clarified liquid, with the highest yield per unit of clarification area "and the highest concentration that may possibly be obtained in the settlings.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device with such characteristics that, being of simple construction, still has high efficiency and yield and is of easy and economical operation.

Other objects and advantages of this invention shall become evident in the course of this description and specifications, especially to persons skilled in the art to which theinvention appertains, and with the aid of the figures in the appended drawings, wherein like reference characters denote identical parts in the different views.

In the said drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the clarifying device which is the subject matter of this invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same device, but shown partly in section;

Figure 3 is a detailed horizontal section, with certain parts removed, and taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Figure 5 is a detailed upper plan view, to an enlarged scale, of one of the sliding plate units and clarifying chambers combined; and,

Figure 6 is a detailed vertical cross-section, taken along the line 6-6, of Fig. 5.

Reference to said figures discloses that the clarifying apparatus'is made up of a tank or main body, rectangular in form, of which the front wall is denotedby l, the rear wall by 2, the sides by 3 and the lid by 4, said lid assuming the shape of a dome or cupola of trapezoidal section, as shown by 4. Said tank or body is built up of sections in its walls I, 2 and 3, which are secured together by means of flanges and bolts 5.

The aforesaid tank is sustained in a raised position by means of a supporting framework made up of columns 6 secured to adequate concrete bases 1, the said columns being secured to the main body or tank by means of H-section beams Band angles 9, afiixed to each other by bolts. The bottom of the tank consists of four pyramids, truncated close to their vertices, andinverted, l0.

Running from side to side of cupola 4 and in spaced relation to each other, are three tubes, l l, which may be increased or decreased in number, serving to feed the liquid to be clarified, the said .tubeshaving outlet openings l2 spaced longitudinally. ,Tubes ll are connected to a cross fitting l3 which, in turn, connects to a general manifold, not shown, bymeans of a feed valve l4.

Although this arrangement is not shown in the drawings, the feeding of the liquid within the tankyorbody, is regulated by means of a float mechanism connected to the valve which governs the fiow of the liquid toward the feed line or manifold, thereby maintaining a uniform and constant liquid level within the tank.

Within the main body ortank of the clarifier and in different horizontal planes, are located a series of units each one of which, shown in detail in Figs.,5 and 6, is made up of two inclined plates I5, which are joined at their upper part in a V, andextending longitudinally to walls I and 2 of the tank. Said units are closed on their underside by a bottom It), each thus constituting an hermetically sealed chamber 11, of triangular cross-section. At each side of the bottom I6 of each chamber are hanging plates 18 running from wall I to wall 2 of the tank, and which, with respect to bottom I6, constitute clarification chambers I9, open on'their underside.

In the part corresponding to cupola 4' these units have their sides l8yin divergent directions, forming circulating passages 20 with respect to and in combination with, plates l5 of the upper row of units immediately underneath, and the sides of the cupola extend within the tank, as shown in 4", so as to form, in combination with the walls thereof, chambers 2!.

The discharge of the clarified liquid is effected by means of a system of pipes whereof each pipe 22 is connected with each of the clarifying chambers l9 and 2!, being provided, at such points, with feeder nozzles 22, as may be more clearly seen in Figs. 5 and 6. Said system of piping 22 conveys the clarified liquid from each zone of clarified liquid created by each of chambers l9 and 2! toward collector 23, the regulation of the discharge of clarified liquid to the collector being effected by the variable level device 24, which being well known in the art is not described, nor does it form a part of this invention except as an accessory means.

A branch pipe 25 is connected to the discharge openings of the bottom cones l 0 for the discharge of the muds or settlings, such pipe being provided with valve 25 and discharging into the mud recipient 2'l.

The'total evacuation of the clarifying device is effected by operating valves 28.

Uniform heating of the liquid mass contained in the main tank is effected, in special cases when juice flow to the device is stopped or interrupted, by means of a system of feed pipes 29 and return pipes 30, for hot Water, branch pipe 29 being provided with valve 29. As shown in Fig. 5 each of the feed pipes 29, perforated as shown by 29", discharges into chamber l1, filling it with water, and returning said water by means of pipe 30. Pipes 29 are connected to the general feed line 3| and return pipes 30 are connected to the general return line 32.

For cases when the device must be emptied and for the purpose of liquidating the greatest possible amount of clear juice contained in clarifying chambers [9, a branch pipe 33, exterior to the main tank, is connected to each pipe 22, being controlled by valve 34, as shown in detail in Figs. 1 and 2.

The operation of the device that has just been described is as follows:

The juice, with the total content of impurities,

which it brings from the mills, is cooked and raised to a temperature between and degrees 0., and at such temperature is made to flow through tubes ll overflowing through outlet openings I2 thereof, until the tank or main body of the device is filled beyond the level of its lid 4 and above the level of the uppermost row of units l5, as shown in Fig.4.

Once the device is full the juice remains in repose and immediately suspended matters therein, which constitute the muds and settlings, commence to precipitate toward the bottom cones Hi, the clarified juice remaining in the higher part of each zone, said zones being those of chambers 19 and 2|. The said settlings gradually but continuously fall along the inclined plates I5 of each row of units toward the bottom cones H), where they are collected.

From the clarified liquid zones determined by chambers l9 and 21 the clarified juice is withdrawn by pipes 22 through nozzles 22. Pipes 22 convey the clarified juice to collector 23, the discharge of said clear liquid being effected in a regulated manner and at will, by means of the variable level device 24.

Accumulated and concentrated muds in bottom cones iii are continuously withdrawn by pipes 25, regulated by valve 26, toward collector 21.

The complete emptying of the device is effected by manipulation of valves 28.

For emergency cases, when juice fiow to device is stopped due to any cause, a heating system is prowded, made up of pipes 29 and 30, and closed chambers IT, to which hot water is admitted through said pipes 29 during the lapse of time when juice flow has stopped, so as to maintain a uniform temperature in the mass of liquid being clarified, the hot water return being made through pipes 30.

In order to empty the device and liquidate the greatest possible amount of clear juice contained in clarifying chambers 39, branch pipes 33 are utilized, controlled for the purpose by valves 34.

I claim:

1. A clarifying device which comprises, a rectangular. shaped tank provided with a lid, such lid having its central portion raised in the form of a cupola or dome, and a plurality of bottoms of an inverted truncated pyramid shape, the walls of the domed portion of the lid extending somewhat within the tank and forming clarification chambers in conjunction with the walls of said tank; a plurality of controllable feed. tubes for the liquid to be clarified, perforated and arranged in spaced relation from side to side of the cupola; a plurality of units arranged in rows one below the other throughout the entire capacity of the tank and made up of plates joining at an angle With their vertices pointing upwards, constituting inclined slipping planes sloping toward the bottoms of the tank for the suspended bodies, each for withdrawals, connected to each clarification l;

zone as delimited by each row of clarifying chambers; means for the controlled withdrawal of clarified liquids from said system of piping;

means for the controlled withdrawal of the settlings; means for emptying. the tank; and means for providing a controlled hot water circulation within the triangular cross-section chambers.

2. A clarifying device comprising, a rectangular shaped tank and sectional walls, provided with a domed lid in its central portion and a plu- I rality of bottoms of inverted truncated pyramid shape; baflles that commence at the walls of the domed portion of the lid and, in combination with the walls of the tank, form clarifying chambers; a plurality of feed tubes for the turbid liquid,'provided with discharge openings longitudinally spaced, said tubes being in the domed part of the lid; rows of units individually made up of two inclined plates joined at their upward extremity in the form of a ridge or angle and extending from the front to the rear wall of the tank, a bottom for each unit forming, in combination therewith, a closed chamber of triangular cross-section, each row of units being for regulating the withdrawal of the clarified liquid from each pipe in the discharge piping system toward a collector; a system of piping for the controlled and continuous withdrawal of the muds or suspended bodies precipitated in the bottomsof the tank; a valve-regulated pipe for emptying the tank; and a system of feed and return'piping for hot water, regulated by valves, in combination with each'triangular chamber.

3. A clarifying device, substantially in accordance with claim 1, wherein the slant of the plates for the sliding of the suspended bodies contained in the turbid liquid, and of the walls of the bottom or bottoms of the tank or main body of the device is such, that no retention or accumulation of said bodies on said plates or walls occurs during their slippage, thereby eliminating alloperations of auxiliary mechanical devices for the removal of such bodies from said plates or walls.

HECTOR ELIZONDO MARTEL. 

